This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page She’s one of the country’s most popular female rappers and the first to get a million views for a YouTube video Mosty’s career started when she was lonely at school in France She began sending videos to her friends back home in Abidjan who nurtured her talent and helped her become the artist she is today Mosty has advice for parents of children who want to get into music – let them do it hear how African music is gaining fans in the Indonesian island of Bali where DJ Edu has just been spinning the discs Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now recently updated monitoring in his home facility Mosty is best known for his long association with best-selling Colombian reggaeton artist and producer J Balvin Often referred to as the Príncipe del Reguetón or Prince of Reggaeton Balvin’s breakthrough hit was the 2013 single release which received two Latin Grammy nominations and was co-produced by Mosty and Alejandro “Sky” Ramírez Mosty went on to work on albums such as 2015’s La Familia 2016’s Energia and its massively successful lead single “Ginza,” and 2021’s Jose with Balvin who has won six Latin Grammy Awards and 11 Billboard Latin Music Awards For his private studio, the space is minimal, he says, and essentially comprises a laptop and a UAD interface, which allow him to work at any location. “But when I’m at the studio, I always have the Amphions,” he says. “I do everything—tracking, mixing, mastering, production—but the Amphions are for mixing and mastering.” His new pair of Amphion Two18 reference monitors became part of his set up during the pandemic lockdowns—a period where he mixed more than 150 songs—and he notes Mosty was using a different brand of high-end reference monitor before the pandemic “They made me work technically instead of musically but I am able to make everything cohesive—not getting too technical but the system helps me not have to work extensively on instruments or vocals.” Mosty has found that he can more accurately work on certain song elements and that mixes translate better than they did with his previous monitors “Amphions are great for vocals and especially for reverbs I would have the reverb very loud because it just felt good on the speakers,” he says Mix Staff Tags ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ an international media group and leading digital publisher BMI is proud to announce that reggaeton superstar J Balvin has joined BMI for representation of the public performances of his dynamic music catalog “We are thrilled to welcome J Balvin to BMI and include his outstanding catalog of music in our repertoire Balvin’s evolution from burgeoning artist to global reggaeton superstar has been incredible and has made him one of the top artists in Latin music today the growth and depth of his storytelling has been met with tremendous success José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, better known to a legion of fans around the globe as J Balvin, has been scoring hits since 2012, including “Yo Te Lo Dije,” “6 AM,” “Ay Vamos” – which recently became the first Latin Urban video to surpass one billion views and “Ginza,” which set a new Billboard record for the longest run at #1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart by an individual artist J Balvin continued to take reggaeton to a new level of global recognition with the release of his new album Energia which debuted at #1 on the iTunes charts of 16 countries Energia also has new collaborations with Juanes and “Safari,” (featuring Pharrell Williams Bia and Sky) – which recently became J Balvin’s fifth consecutive #1 single Having already collected his first Latin GRAMMY Award last year J Balvin won the award for Best Urban Music Album for Energia at this year’s 17th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards ceremony last week and treated the crowd to a rousing performance of “Safari” with Bia at his side For more information, please visit J Balvin or follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to creative inspiration and dynamic playlists we’re excited about BMI’s The Weekly is dedicated to delivering specially curated content designed for music creators and music fans alike BMI represents more than 1.4 million songwriters and publishers with over 22.4 million musical works Submissions are temporarily suspended for site maintenance Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb As we’ve emphasised (as a lot of people don’t seem to know this), you don’t need to be a citizen to vote in municipal elections While being an immigrant does not necessarily mean you’re not a citizen immigrants in Iceland of any legal status bring a fresh perspective to politics that locals simply don’t have we contacted every single foreign-born candidate running for Reykjavík City Council this year and asked them the same three questions running for the Women’s Party in the 24th seat Check out the overview of the other immigrant candidates’ interviews here, and the other election coverage here Tourist Sexually Harassed In Blue Lagoon Tourist Held Hostage On May Day Culture Night Killer Sentenced To Prison Starbucks To Open In Reykjavík Soon Iceland At A Crossroads An Ode to Flateyri Police Officers Spied On Citizens For Iceland’s Richest Man From Army Brats To Luxury Flats 2018GettySave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links Illustration by Brown Bird DesignThe Amazon in South America is the longest river in the world—or so says a recent survey by the government of Brazil which has a vested interest in staying a few steps ahead of the Nile and the world's largest river dolphins but it might be more remarkable for something it doesn't have: a single bridge the Amazon is the world's longest river not crossed by any bridges The Amazon runs over 4,300 miles from its headwaters in the Andes to its massive delta on the Atlantic While the 25 million people who live on or near its banks span Brazil living in sprawling metropolitan cities and tiny tribal villages all have one thing in common: to cross to the other side they'll need to jump in a boat or hop on a ferry It divides an entire continent nearly in two For most of its length, the Amazon isn't anywhere close to too wide to bridge—in the dry season and crossings that were once three miles wide can balloon to thirty miles in a matter of weeks The soft sediment that makes up the river bank is constantly eroding including floating vegetation islands called matupás It's a civil engineer's worst nightmare But the real reason for the lack of bridges is simply this: the Amazon Basin has very few roads for bridges to connect The dense rainforest is sparsely populated outside of a few large cities and the river itself is the main highway for those traveling through the region but there's not a single road to connect it to the rest of Brazil the only direction to drive it is north toward French Guiana Brazil and its sister town Iranduba was slow and increasingly crowded The crossing also cost up to $30 a passenger Brazil built a two-mile-long cable-stayed bridge connecting the two cities This bridge doesn't technically cross the main course of the Amazon; it crosses the Rio Negro But it's the river system's very first bridge aren't fans of Manaus's new bridge and highway projects road-building in the Amazon has been the first step to development and deforestation up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world says chief; Protesters vow to stay 'as long as it takes'The ‘Freedom Convoy’ that converged in Ottawa started in response to the federal government’s move to require all Canadian truck drivers crossing the U.S You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account The ‘Freedom Convoy’ that converged in Ottawa on the weekend started in response to the federal government’s move to require that all Canadian truck drivers crossing the U.S saying the vast majority of its members are fully vaccinated and are continuing to work The core organizers of the protest insist that they are not anti-vaccine but instead oppose mandates that require vaccination for people to work Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe Evening CitizenThe Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of The Evening Citizen will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Freedom Convoy’s GoFundMe page which has so far raised more than $10 million to support the truckers’ demonstration appears has been put on hold “This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations,” reads a notice on the site “Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organisers and donors a purported Wexit supporter and Maverick Party secretary Among possible infractions listed among GoFundMe’s terms of services is content that “reflects or promotes behaviour that we deem to be an abuse of power or in support of hate or intolerance of any kind relating to race funds raised through GoFundMe may not be used for the legal defence of “alleged crimes associated with hate Mayor Jim Watson said earlier this week that the city was contemplating legal action against GoFundMe and wanted to see it disassociate itself from the protest Watson also asked the city’s legal department to see if the funds raised through the protest’s GoFundMe campaign could be accessed to help pay for municipal expenses Ottawa police are asking for the public’s assistance identifying a woman believed to be involved in the desecration of the National War Memorial in an incident that occurred during the truckers’ demonstration last Saturday and wearing a winter jacket with some yellow on the front black winter pants and grey-and-white shoes Ottawa area healthcare unions joined voices calling for an end to protests in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday Unions representing thousands of healthcare paramedic and public health workers said the protests are threatening the health and safety of its members and the community they serve patients and emergency services from reaching their destinations quickly treatments are being delayed and lives put at risk Immunization clinics have been closed and public health measures to protect our community in a pandemic have been disregarded by thousands of people.” OPSEU 464 and 475 and Unifor 8300 said sleep deprivation extreme noise and harassment has been affecting the health of downtown community which is affecting healthcare workers while some of the most vulnerable are not able to access the services they need “It is past time to put an end to the actions that are putting the health and safety of the people of Ottawa and the services they depend on at risk.” chiefs representing three Algonquin groups say they do not support actions in Confederation Park in support of the truckers’ convoy pipe ceremony and sacred fire have been set up in the park “The Algonquin Nation did not give consent for these ceremonial practices,” said the chiefs in a letter sent to other Indigenous nations warning that the actions “could cause more harm to who we are as First Nations/Algonquin people.” “we have no other choice but to support the Ottawa Police in their efforts and actions to stop this at once,” said the letter signed by Chief Wendy Jocko of Algonquins of Pikwakanagan the acting Grand Chief of Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council and Chief Dylan Whiteduck of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg “First Nations and non-Indigenous people should always remember protocol and that permission from us (is) need to proceed,” said the chief in the letter which was also forwarded to Mayor Jim Watson Parliamentary Protective Services and National Chief RoseAnne Archibald An Ottawa woman in her late 20s said a man on a hotel balcony hurled abusive comments at her which escalated to a death threat after she stopped taking cellphone video of the incident The incident happened around noon on Tuesday was headed to a store wearing a mask when a man on a balcony of the Business Inn and Suites at the corner of Elgin Street and MacLaren yelled at her that she was “free” not to wear a mask The man made a few more offensive comments and she took out her cell phone to take video hoping to dissuade him from further comments That’s where I’ll put a bullet,” the woman recalled and she only noted the slur after she reviewed the video I didn’t know one of the comments was a racial slur,” said the woman who is white and says she can understand why people of colour are feeling “terrified.” “I don’t think I could call (police) until he threatened me,” she said The woman said police were helpful and asked if she wanted to lay charges but has since reconsidered and called again to find out more about her options has since moved to live with family in the suburbs because she fears more harassment “I was happy with the police response,” she said “I chose not to press charges (at first) mainly because I was shaken up and I wasn’t sure what that would entail.” another woman who lives in the downtown core said she became alarmed when she saw a truck delivering portable toilets to a park at the intersection around noon on Tuesday The woman said she was worried that the potties were unauthorized and a signal that the protest will continue indefinitely She called police and officers were dispatched to the scene The woman said police arrived and spoke to the man who delivered them and the potties were removed within about an hour “We’re living in the midst of it here,” said the woman In response to a question from Kanata North Coun Sloly says there has been discussions about calling in the military for assistance but the option would come with “massive risk.” It’s extremely well-governed and extremely rare,” he said of calling in the military Sloly says this power has only been invoked twice in Canada that he is aware of: in 1970 after the radical Quebec separatist group kidnapped a provincial cabinet minister and a British diplomat and in 1990 during the Oka crisis when Mohawk protesters objected to the expansion of a golf course and housing development on disputed territory said the city is making plans to handle the potentially heavy snowfall in the coming days in light of the ongoing protest downtown “As the situation with the truck demonstration is very fluid contingencies are in place and we intend to focus on pedestrian and emergency access routes through the area clearing and treating sidewalks and facilitating the safe movement of emergency vehicles,” Levesque said “We do not anticipate impacts to snow-clearing operations in other parts of the city.” who represents the ByWard Market and Lowertown says he’s heard from residents who are scared about leaving their homes and are struggling with the incessant noise from the protest He asks if the police have enough resources to deal with the protesters with deputy chief Ferguson says more resources are always welcomed called on Sloly to hand over responsibility for the main protest to the RCMP and to focus city police resources on blunting the impacts in residential areas “People are terrified and there’s no presence of the police,” McKenny said of what they heard from constituents Chief Sloly says he has asked and recently received approval for additional RCMP resources to help with the protest is not the police of jurisdiction for this protest and that force is “probably more underfunded” than the Ottawa police Transitioning the lead role for handling these protests from the Ottawa police to the RCMP is “not jurisdictionally possible,” Sloly cautioned Mayor and council are now getting an opportunity to ask questions to police brass Police chief Peter Sloly says all “options” on the table Laura Dudas says while she understands that politicians can’t direct police she wants to know when Ottawans will “get their city back.” Sloly says police must act lawful and “proportionally” in regards to the risk involved and protest is national — if not international — in scope “Any act taken without understanding (the) totality… of the risk would be irresponsible,” he said the more I’m convinced there may not be a police solution to this demonstration … This is a national issue I will continue to do — my members will continue to do — my very best to keep this city as safe as possible.” Ottawa police deputy chief Trish Ferguson says starting last night officers are beginning stricter enforcement of the protests in residential areas in the core There will also be a “heavier” focus on traffic violations in the core Additional demonstrators are expected downtown this weekend though officers will have the resources available to contend with the larger crowd Ferguson said that “several hundred” trucks remain in the city and while the number of protesters downtown has dropped since the peak over the weekend those that remain are “determined” and “unlawful.” Police also warned that they anticipate “large groups of people gathering” in the Parliamentary precinct this weekend including both pro-convoy supporters and counter-protesters Police brass say more than 25 investigations are ongoing The significant disruptions caused by the trucker protests and incidents of harassment and intimidating behaviour by participants are “intolerable,” says Ottawa’s police chief Peter Sloly also said Wednesday during a virtual media availability that city police would announce soon more charges against protesters police have made three arrests in connection to the almost week-long protest Sloly vowed that charges would be pursued against any protesters seen breaking the law including those who came from out-of-town and those seen desecrating memorials and monuments VIEW A GALLERY OF PHOTOS FROM DAY 6 OF THE TRUCKER PROTEST IN DOWNTOWN OTTAWA Full Screen is not supported on this browser version You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen A downtown women’s shelter says the truck convoy protest is “retraumatizing” women in Ottawa Cornerstone Housing for Women says these past six days have been “extremely stressful for people experiencing homelessness and frontline staff working to support them in the downtown core.” Its operations have moved to a “crisis response” as a result The non-profit’s emergency shelter returned to its downtown location only a few weeks ago with its staff and clients “still getting situated.” The protest is “creating more barriers and retraumatizing women in the city,” read a statement from Cornerstone.” “The residents and staff in Ottawa’s women’s shelter are exhausted This protest is having consequences on the rights and wellness of the city’s most vulnerable people Women and staff are scared to go outside of the shelter being able to go outside is the only reprieve many women experiencing homelessness have and they cannot even do that.” Cornerstone blamed the “incessant honking and noise from the trucks” for causing “significant anxiety and distress for staff and shelter residents,” saying women have admitted themselves into hospital due to the increased trauma from the noise and fear.” are being forced to “figure out alternative plans for client transportation to any other program or hospitals in the city.” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called on Premier Doug Ford to end the “chaos and occupation of our nation’s capital by violent extremists” in a letter Wednesday She urged the premier to work with the municipal and federal governments to end the protests calling out reports that Ford was awaiting a call from Ottawa’s mayor for help Rather than “sheepishly ask these extremists to go home,” Horwath wrote Ford should work with Mayor Jim Watson and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “end this chaos “Workers and residents of downtown Ottawa are under siege,” Horwath wrote Retail workers are having shifts cancelled and paycheques slashed because businesses are forced to close Residents are on their own to endure endless noise anti-Black racism and “hate of all kinds — occurring seemingly without any consequences,” she said Confederate flags and Nazi swastikas have been flown and “the most venerable symbols of our nation,” including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the statue of Terry Fox the Legislative Protective Service has just informed all members that “additional actions may soon take place” at Queen’s Park Describing the situation in Centretown as lawless Catherine McKenney called on the RCMP to take operational control of convoy protesters near Parliament Hill on Wednesday so Ottawa police can “restore peace” in residential neighbourhoods “We really have two fronts — what is happening on the Hill and surrounding streets and what is happening in our residential neighbourhoods,” McKenney said Because their resources are largely tied up with the situation around Parliament Hill McKenney said there is virtually no police presence in the neighbourhoods throughout Centretown and the ByWard Market we have people who are exhibiting very dangerous behaviours — harassing people driving on sidewalks — and because our entire police force is on the Hill “There is no police presence at a time when there is a presence of very dangerous people.” McKenney said they continue to talk to Centretown residents some of whom are scared to leave their apartments — including a senior whose cat is hungry because she is afraid to leave to buy cat food Others talk about being harassed because they wear masks and some women have reported being followed down Bank Street neighbourhoods while blaring music and horns McKenney said they have spoken to the police chief who committed more police officers McKenney said the response has not been adequate to the scale of the situation “I just can’t fathom why the mayor and police chief don’t understand the need for safety to be reinstated in Centretown.” a community group gathered to make signs as part of a foot patrol program aimed at helping Centretown residents who feel unsafe going out alone Two local residents said Wednesday they have been harassed outside nearby grocery stores where protesters sometimes gather or shop without masks Donations have also flowed into the Shepherds of Good Hope since Saturday when the shelter said some protesters harassed its staff into feeding them for free the Shepherds said it had received donations from more than 12,000 people “Thank you to everyone: from people across the world to some of the people participating in and supporting the protests to our neighbours and community members – we appreciate it,” the organization tweeted Thank you to the more than 12,000 people who have given so generously thus far. Thank you to everyone: from people across the world, to some of the people participating in and supporting the protests, to our neighbours and community members - we appreciate it. pic.twitter.com/aEmKyQbocm Ottawa police have made a third arrest in the protests charging a Quebec man in connection with threats and comments made on social media while he was in Ottawa is charged with uttering threats and counselling to commit an indictable offence which was not committed both for the current demonstrations and any planned demonstrations: Illegal activity will not be tolerated,” police said in a release adding that there would be consequences for breaking city bylaws We want to be very clear, both for the current demonstrations and any planned demonstrations--illegal activity will not be tolerated.There will be consequences for anyone contravening City By-laws, Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code legislation. @ottawacity @OttawaBylaw After a transportation committee meeting Wednesday morning who’s part of council’s core leadership as committee chair said “there has to be some kind of movement” on the trucker protest and that he was looking forward to a police briefing in the afternoon “It’s pretty clear now it’s an occupancy,” Tierney said noting he has two adult children who live downtown Tierney said a court injunction or more involvement by the RCMP could be two areas for municipal authorities to explore “The citizens have to see a little bit more action … visible (action),” Tierney said Frustrated Ottawans are organizing to support Centretown residents who have been living with the presence of protesters and constant honking for more than five days At the Jack Purcell Community Centre on Wednesday morning awaited the arrival of volunteers who would go door to door throughout the neighbourhood checking in on residents and offering them “walking buddies” and help fetching supplies “Today I think we’ll be reaching out to apartment buildings condo buildings as much as possible to say that we’re here and if residents would like our services we can help them go about their day,” Charters said Volunteers have been quick to offer their support which began as a self-labelled “Freedom Convoy” in protest of COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates distant honking resonated down Elgin Street A small group of motivated protest supporters remains camped out near Parliament Hill with most of them living out of heavy trucks and RVs parked along Wellington Street fear and frustration among Centretown residents “It’s been really difficult,” Charters said “One person that contacted me was working at CHEO and she was done at 9 o’clock at night and was really afraid about that walk from Parliament Station to her home in Centretown and there was a lady that I spoke with that already struggles with anxiety and suffered from really bad anxiety with the truckers here and so she couldn’t go to the bank and she needed to go to the bank to pay her rent I never thought I’d see something like this in this city.” Organizers of what they bill as “Freedom Convoy 2022” issued a statement Wednesday vowing to stay in Ottawa “for as long as it takes” for governments across the country to end all COVID-19 mandates organizers estimate the number of protesters — “truck owners and operators as well as citizens from all walks of life from across the country” —  in Ottawa to be in the tens of thousands “The number of participants who have travelled from every region of Canada to be in Ottawa was a surprise even to us,” spokesperson Tamara Lich said in the statement “It was a bit overwhelming at first from a logistical point of view but we are now well organized and are settling in Ottawa police said that there had been a reduction in the number of demonstrators with 50 people on Parliament Hill and another 200 people gathered nearby Convoy leaders “expressed regret that citizens of Canada’s capital are bearing this inconvenience.” “Our message to the citizens of Ottawa is one of empathy,” said Chris Barber “We understand your frustration and genuinely wish there was another way for us to get our message across but the responsibility for your inconvenience lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians who prefer to vilify and call us names rather than engage in respectful “The fastest way to get us out of the nation’s capital is to call your elected representatives and end all (COVID-19) mandates as the UK did two weeks ago and as both Sweden and Switzerland did today.” Barber said that “our interaction with the Ottawa police has been mostly positive especially in dealing with front-line officers.” The convoy statement said organizers have been “particularly dismayed by the extreme and divisive rhetoric used by politicians — especially Justin Trudeau — who have characterized protesters as racists “We are determined to be respectful the law despite the school-yard mudslinging and bullying of some politicians and members of the press Nobody should underestimate our resolve or our resilience “We are here and we are not going anywhere until we achieve our objective to see an end of all (COVID-19) mandates and with that a restoration of freedoms of all Canadians.” The protest continued to upend transit in the core on Wednesday OC Transpo reported numerous continuing detours downtown — and no STO service from Gatineau to Ottawa — on top of expected delays for buses and Para Transpo due to impending snowfall The City of Ottawa said that of the interprovincial crossings Chaudière and Champlain bridges were open Wednesday morning The Alexandra Bridge and southbound Portage Bridge were closed Gatineau police said on social media at about 8 a.m Wednesday that officers were seeing much less traffic on the various bridges than Tuesday we must remain patient,” the force tweeted and eating and drinking throughout the facility in defiance of public health orders The City of Ottawa warned residents that service impacts would continue Wednesday and cautioned against non-essential travel Ottawa Public Health’s community vaccination clinic at the University of Ottawa Minto Sports Complex was scheduled to reopen Wednesday The Ottawa Public Library’s main and Rideau branches including the Rink of Dreams and the underground parking lot The protest had been going on five days and showed no signs of ending on its own according to the petition posted by Jeremy Owen residents of downtown — including vulnerable homeless and mentally ill — are being directly affected by constant noise and a party atmosphere of bad behaviour,” the petition said while traffic snarls prevent thousands from getting to jobs or crucial services except curtailing the worst offences (after statue and monument desecrations),” the petition said “Otherwise we see on social media a lot of support for the protesters while the official word is that their hands are tied “Enough is enough — we support the right to protest But even if this was a legitimate movement with a coherent message it would still be past time to allow the normal and harmonious life of the city to resume We demand that the police of this city do their job for this city and ticketing vehicle and noise infractions Ottawa police said Tuesday night they have charged two Ottawa men following investigations related to the ongoing truckers protest A 29-year-old man was charged with mischief under $5,000 after reportedly causing mischief to property on Saturday the man was not arrested at the time of the incident in order to avoid a larger confrontation a 37-year-old man was charged with carrying an unspecified weapon to a public meeting there are 13 active investigations stemming from the protest Eight complaints have so far been made to the service’s hotline three of which will be investigated by the hate and bias crime unit OPS also reports “some progression” in the investigation into the desecration of the National War Memorial transmission or republication strictly prohibited This 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Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Ease into your new life in Russia with these handy apps By Sarah Fairman Maintaining our Russian site is a delicate matter during the war We have chosen to keep its content online to help our readers but we cannot ensure that it is accurate and up to date Our team endeavors to strike the right balance between giving information to those who need it and respecting the gravity of the situation Russia has many apps you can download to help you settle into your life there Read on to find out about all the useful ones in the following sections: So you’re in your new city, but how will you find your way around? Thankfully, there are many Russian public transport and international transport apps you can use Many of them function like an interactive map showing you the best route to get to your destination they can show you the best public transport options and keep you up-to-date on delays When it comes to the Russian metro, Yandex.Metro has you covered. With metro maps for eight Russian cities (including Moscow and Saint Petersburg) and even a few from outside the country It includes maps and displays the best route Operated by the largest Russian search engine, Yandex.Maps can provide you with directions and transport information to get around the country Available in Saint Petersburg, Mosty Peterburga (Мосты Петербурга) enables you to discover which bridges are currently open or in construction to make sure you never get stuck on the wrong side of the river again One of the best ways to settle into your new life is to learn the Russian language. It’ll help you with everything from reading the labels at your local Russian supermarket to applying for a Russian mortgage Babbel is an online language-learning app designed by language-teaching experts you’ll be able to learn some Russian in as little as five minutes a day with a range of courses that you can tailor to your unique language needs especially if you feel intimidated by learning a new language Learn Russian with Duo the Owl when you download Duolingo With a colorful cast of mascots encouraging you along the way Duolingo is a fun and effective way to start your language-learning journey Translate sentences, phrases, and more with Yandex.Translate Essential if you’re new to the Russian language you can use the app if you want to translate all the Russian admin you’ll receive upon your arrival Google’s well-known online translation tool, the Google Translate app will help you translate Russian with ease you can also translate information by simply holding up your camera to the text – very useful for when you’re out and about One of the downsides of moving abroad is that it can cost a lot. You’ve got to pay for flights or train tickets for yourself and anyone moving with you. That, plus the cost of relocation to Russia means you’re probably keen to find some bargains once you’ve arrived it takes a while to get to know your new hometown One way to save money is by shopping second-hand or online One of the biggest online stores in Russia, OZON.ru (Russian only) is a shopper’s paradise The company originally started as an online bookstore but now sells everything from groceries to phones Russia’s largest online retailer, the Wildberries app can sort out all your daily essentials you can also use the app to buy tech equipment Another mass retailer, Yandex.Market has all sorts of products for sale With thousands of stores all in one convenient platform the app has plenty of well-known brands you can choose from You can also earn points on the app and access countless discounts WhatsApp is useful for sending instant messages and sharing videos and pictures You can also create group chats and make voice calls with an internet connection Another popular messaging app in Russia, Telegram enables you to send and receive regular messages without needing to share your phone number all you need is a username to connect with others Viber is a messenger app with plenty of options for group chats Viber is secure and can help you connect with your loved ones – be they in Russia or otherwise Russia can get very, very cold. So it’s no wonder that Russian cuisine is hearty and warming When you need to relax after a long day at work during the Russian winter what could be better than ordering a tasty meal to your home and other household products directly to your home Yandex.Eda delivers groceries and meals to over 170 cities across Russia you can get your favorite food delivered in no time you can also follow your food delivery until it reaches your door Getting around Moscow and other Russian cities is relatively straightforward as there are plenty of public transport options But if you’re looking for more flexibility and sustainability cycling has become increasingly popular in recent years And you don’t have to fork out for a top-of-the-range road bike as Moscow So why not get fit while traveling around the city If you’re moving to the Russian capital, be sure to download Velobike the City of Moscow’s bike-sharing app you’ll soon notice bike stations are dotted throughout the city this means you can pick up a bike almost anywhere and cycle to your destination The app allows you to register and pay from your phone as well as find docking stations and route suggestions One of the top taxi apps in Russia, Yandex.taxi will get you to your destination quickly and easily the app has the benefit of showing you your taxi fare before stepping foot into the taxi City-Mobil covers all your mobility needs or if you’re looking for a greener form of travel If you’re staying in Russia for a long time, you’ll probably need to use government services at some point. This is the case if you’re looking to apply for permits such as a Russian driving license, or if you want to find out about Russian labor laws Dealing with Russian bureaucracy might seem like a daunting prospect but these apps are here to make your life a little easier Gosuslugi (Госуслуги) is the Russian government services portal. The mobile app lets you see all of your public services in one place – from doctors’ appointments to social security You might need to provide a few documents to set it up but it will save you from spending hours in queues at government institutions With Gboard you can download a Russian keyboard onto your phone to type in the Cyrillic alphabet the app is useful for inputting data in the Russian language there’s a lot of Russia to explore – and there are many ways to do it The most romantic is undoubtedly the famous Trans-Siberian Railway that crosses this vast country which is popular with visitors and locals alike there are many more travel options available from trains and planes to buses and ferries It can be tricky to figure out which transport option to use Whether you’re zipping between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, or voyaging cross-country to Vladivostok, getting the train in Russia is a real adventure. You can make your life easier by downloading RZD for passengers (РЖД Пассажирам билеты на поезд) – the Russian railway app You’ll also be informed about delays and changes as it provides regular updates and information about stations If you’re looking for a rideshare at an affordable price, download BlaBlaCar and a nearby driver will come to pick you up You can also use the app to book your bus tickets online – perfect for when you’re planning your next vacation Tutu.ru helps you discover long-distance travel options for getting around Russia this app will have you traveling with ease If you’re looking for something to watch on the small screen, and Russian TV isn’t hitting the spot, why not download a streaming app? Once you have your Russian internet connection you’ll be able to access a wider variety of options than standard Russian TV channels From football matches to international films Okko is one of Russia’s major streaming platforms you’ll be inundated with Russian series and films they also offer a range of international movies – some are dubbed into Russian but others are available in their original language Sports fans will also find plenty of international fixtures to stay entertained If you’re looking to improve your Russian, Ivi is a great resource A streaming platform with an extensive catalog of Russian films and TV you can depend on this app to unwind while practicing your language skills and Uzbekistan before arriving in the Netherlands in 2017 and Ukrainian) and has written for several cultural and legal publications Texas - Kerr County jurors sentenced Rowlett homemaker Darlie Lynn Routier to death Tuesday for fatally stabbing her 5-year-old son in an attack that also killed his 6-year-old brother last summer Routier greeted the decision with a somber expression twisting a tissue absentmindedly in her fingers as visiting State District Judge Mark Tolle pronounced her sentence who have maintained her innocence since her arrest left the courthouse without talking to reporters after the verdict was announced her mother and husband said they expected the sentence What if they're wrong?" said Darin Routier adding that he thought the jurors already had made up their minds before they began deliberating Crime in The NewsRead the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Prosecutors said they were gratified by the jury's decision. "In this kind of case nobody wins because we can't bring back those two boys," Assistant District Attorney Greg Davis said. "But we're very grateful to this jury because this was a difficult job Ms. Routier will join six other women awaiting execution in the Texas prison system. The case will be automatically appealed. Defense attorney Richard Mosty, his eyes moist, said afterward that he felt emotionally drained. "If I fall down will that be a good enough description for you?" Mr. Mosty asked. "Yes, I do feel personally attached." Jurors deliberated for roughly four hours after hearing closing arguments Tuesday morning. In setting Ms. Routier's sentence of lethal injection, jurors had to decide unanimously that Ms. Routier would pose a continuing threat to society through future violent criminal acts. They also had to all agree that there was nothing in the circumstances of the crime or in her character or background that would warrant sparing her life. "You know she's a threat," Assistant District Attorney Sherri Wallace said in her closing statement. "She's a threat to anything that gets in her way. As long as you don't cross her, everything's fine. But if you get in her way, God help you." Mr. Mosty said he began preparing his client for a death sentence as soon as arguments concluded. Mr. Mosty said he sensed during arguments Tuesday morning that jurors were not receptive to their pleas to spare Ms. Routier. "I just said, `Darlie, I don't think we've got a chance in the world of a life sentence. There's no way we're going to sway this jury,' and she agreed with me," Mr. Mosty said. "I looked at that jury while we were arguing, and they weren't listening to what we had to say." The preparation did not make hearing the verdict any easier, defense attorneys said. "She was understandably disappointed," defense attorney Doug Mulder said of his client. "But I think the emotion's pretty well drained out of her at this point." Jurors said through Judge Tolle that they did not want to discuss the case with anyone. They were driven to a nearby hotel, where they scattered and declined to speak to reporters. One said The decision came after closing arguments Tuesday morning in which prosecutors called Ms. Routier a "cold-blooded, evil-hearted killer." They said her crime was so heinous that it merited taking her life. "We don't like to think that evil exists, but ladies and gentlemen, there is evil in the world," Mr. Davis told the panel. "And today that evil goes by the name of Darlie Lynn Routier." Defense attorneys asked jurors to spare their client, saying she was not beyond redemption and that jurors might have made a mistake in convicting her. Mr. Mosty stood behind Ms. Routier's chair, resting his hand on her shoulder, and pleaded quietly for her life. He said the unswerving support her family had shown her was a better measure of "I'm telling you there's a lot more to her than all the hatred the state can muster," he said. "That's why those people out there love her, and that's why I'm standing where I am." Ms. Routier wore a forlorn expression, facing jurors and wiping away tears as Mr. Mosty spoke. Her mother Darlie Kee, dry-eyed until then, also began to cry. Mr. Davis argued that prosecutors did not hate Ms. Routier or her family, but, "we hate what she did to those two children." Jurors he said, should not feel guilty about handing down the "That's not hatred," he said. "That's justice." In her closing argument, Ms. Wallace described what she believed happened on the night of the killings, telling jurors that Ms. Routier approached her son Devon with a butcher knife as he lay "I don't know what he was dreaming about," Ms. Wallace said, "but it was nothing compared to the nightmare that woke him." After stabbing Devon and then Damon, Ms. Routier then, "did whatever she did," to stage the crime scene before returning her attention to her younger son. "He's trying to get out of there. He's crawling away," Ms. Wallace said. "She goes after him, and she finishes him off." Defense lawyers sought to emphasize the gravity of the decision placed in the jury's lap, and to place second thoughts in the jurors' minds about the evidence that led them to convict Ms. Mr. Mulder reviewed several pieces of evidence that he said prosecutors had not adequately explained in the trial's guilt-innocence stage, saying lingering doubts about those points should give jurors pause about handing down a death sentence. "If they expect you to answer the ultimate question, then you're entitled to some answers and some explanations," Mr. Mulder said. "Their proof is just not so positive as to be infallible." Attorney Curtis Glover told jurors he believed they had based their guilty verdict in part on their belief in the infallibility of police and prosecutors. He urged them to question that notion closely in setting her sentence. Mr. Mulder also told jurors that if they wanted a clearer insight into Ms. Routier's character they should read entries from her private journal aloud to one another in the jury room. In several of the entries, which Ms. Routier read from the witness stand last week, she expresses love and devotion to her sons. At the trial's outset, prosecutors said Ms. Routier killed her sons because she saw their deaths as a way to salvage a lavish lifestyle after she and her husband had spent themselves into financial decline. The couple, owners of a small Rowlett electronics testing firm, had been threatened with foreclosure on their home shortly before the slayings. The killings occurred June 6 in the downstairs family room of the Routier home where Devon and Damon were sleeping with their mother in front of the family's big-screen television. Both boys died from deep stab wounds from a butcher knife plunged repeatedly into their torsos. Ms. Routier was also wounded in the attack, suffering shallow slashes to her neck, shoulder and Ms. Routier told police that a man wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt broke into the home, carried out the stabbings and fled through the garage. She testified last week that she remembered nothing of the attack and did not wake up until after she and the boys were wounded. Ms. Routier was arrested June 18. Police and prosecutors said that she killed the boys and made up the intruder story, staging the crime scene to mislead investigators. Three expert witnesses Judge Tolle moved the trial to Kerrville at the request of Ms. Routier's original court-appointed defense attorneys to avoid a jury tainted by continuing publicity in Dallas. But that publicity found its way into closing arguments on Tuesday as Ms. Wallace, pointing to a crowd of reporters in the courtroom gallery, told jurors that their verdict would send a message around the country, "that in Texas we protect our children." In testimony during Monday's punishment hearing, prosecution witnesses portrayed Ms. Routier as a selfish woman who treated her children with indifference that occasionally flared into angry Meanwhile, Ms. Routier's mother and mother-in-law pleaded with jurors to spare Ms. Routier's life. Several of her friends and relatives testified that she was a devoted and caring mother. Ms. Routier's mother and husband both said before the decision was announced that they expected jurors to sentence her to death. Darlie Kee, Ms. Routier's mother, said jurors should have given more weight to the family's support of her daughter. Ms. Kee said. "When you have a circumstantial case like this, and you don't have an eyewitness and people could put a spin on it either way, I say [the death penalty] should not be considered." "The rest of my life will include fighting for Darlie," Ms. Kee said. Staff writer Michael Saul contributed to this report. Texas - Kerr County jurors sentenced Rowlett homemaker Darlie Lynn Routier to death Tuesday for fatally stabbing her 5-year-old son in an attack that also killed his 6-year-old brother last summer.","counter":0,"adShow":true},{"_id":"DJP46E2KAJFDTBVCDGIWCRFRT4","type":"text","content":"Ms Log in and download the free e-publication of the latest A&B The printed version is available for sale online in our store and press salons throughout Poland unique e-mail [will also be used as login in the portal] Only name - check the correctness of the data Only the last name - check the correctness of the data password must be at least 8 characters long * fields required for registration; data can be completed in account settings after logging in ** establishment of a student account follows verification of the validity of the student ID card Please try later or let us know: contact Technology: aitnet.pl Ⓒ AiB Publishing House 2025   The historic water mill in Stone that featured in a recent episode of Channel 4’s The Restoration Man will be open to the public on Sunday 1st June The restored 17th century Mosty Lea water mill sits in the Moddershall Valley just outside of Stone off the A520 Longton Road you’ll have to park at Kibblestone Scout Camp on Kibblestone Road in Oulton There’s then a beautiful walk through the Moddershall Valley to Mosty Lea The mill featured on The Restoration Man recently when presenter George Clarke visited to find out more about the network of water-powered flint mills in the Moddershall Valley that powered Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry Volunteers will be on hand on Sunday to bring the history of this amazing building to life – and the water wheel will be turning although donations towards the upkeep of Mosty Lea are welcomed on the day the mill will also be open to the public on these dates between 2pm and 4pm: Click HERE to see photos of Mosty Lea from a Heritage Open Day in September 2010 – one of our first articles on A Little Bit of Stone Local Democracy Reporter | 21st March 2024 A Little Bit of Stone has been providing the latest jobs and more for our wonderful town!  Copyright © 2010 - 2025 • A Little Bit of Stone CA Immo exits non-core market Serbia with the sale of the 19,600 sqm office building Sava Business Center in Belgrade Both the sales price and the buyer are subject to confidentiality As the PBSA sector finally takes off in Poland it is now increasingly attracting international operators and investors Eurobuild CEE spoke to Xior's investment manager about why it has such confidence in the Polish market Residential developer Develia has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire all the shares in Bouygues Immobilier Polska the Polish subsidiary of Bouygues Immobilier ESA logistika has leased 15,000 sqm in Prologis Park Piotrków GLP has completed the development of its Wrocław V Logistics Centre and has received a BREEAM rating of Outstanding Panattoni has secured EUR 40 mln in financing from BNP Paribas for the development of Panattoni Park Sosnowiec IV Newgate Investment (NGI) and Redkom Development are developing a large retail park in Bydgoszcz Deutsche Hypo – NORD/LB Real Estate Finance has provided a five-year green loan to Olivia Seven for the refinancing of the Olivia Prime A office building in Gdańsk-Oliwa communications and security company Motorola Solutions has signed a five-year lease renewal 18,000 sqm at the Green Office complex in Kraków’s Podgórze district Falling interest rates and easing monetary policy across the eurozone and CEEi are boosting investor confidence in the region’s commercial real estate market reveals Colliers in its ‘Beyond Real Estate | Economy’ report Panattoni is to build the Panattoni Park Mainz Süd in Erbes-Büdesheim bei Alzey Axi Immo has presented its latest report “Warsaw Office Market – Q1 2025 The market opened in 2025 on a steady footing with a notable increase in leasing activity and a modest decline in vacancy landlords continue to focus on upgrading existing assets and prioritizing quality over quantity Convenience store chain Żabka has officially opened a new logistics centre in Kąty Wrocławskie The first stage of the development will serve 1,500 stores in the Wrocław area Romanian Post has leased over 5,000 sqm of logistics space in CTPark Bucharest to serve as its temporary regional courier and logistics hub for Bucharest JLL has announced the sale and leaseback of two properties by a manufacturing company in a deal worth over PLN 1 bln Warehouse developer CTP is adding 2,000 sqm to its Clubco coworking development in Brno pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank has extended an investment facility to PineBridge Benson Elliot for the Diuna Office Park in Warsaw The hotel market in Bucharest continued its recovery in 2024 while the ADR has finally surpassed the milestone of EUR 100 Torus has announced its All.inn students’ residence concept that is soon to appear on ul BIG Poland has acquired the Multishop Suwałki retail park comprising 13,000 sqm of retail space The company now owns nine fully commercialized retail parks in Poland Slate Asset Management has sold three OBI retail stores to the Lindner Group from Germany Cushman & Wakefield has conducted a survey the findings of which are presented in the report From Shopping to Experiences: A Customer’s View on Shopping Centres and Retail Parks Cushman & Wakefield notes that despite evolving shopping trends both retail formats continue to hold strong appeal Multi Poland has taken on the management of the Galeria Przymorze shopping centre in Gdańsk The store offers lifestyle and sporting clothing and is to open this spring According to the "Quo Vadis E-commerce" report released by Cushman & Wakefield the online commerce continues to be a growth driver for the industrial & logistics real estate sector generating significant opportunities for developers and investors the investor behind the Projekt Góraszka shopping and entertainment complex in Wiązowna on Warsaw’s eastern outskirts has obtained a building permit for a mixed-use development Poznan-based company Scallier is opening another facility under the Funshop Park brand in Romania According to the latest report “At a Glance: Modern Retail Market in Poland Q4 2024” from BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland Poland’s retail market experienced record growth in 2024 Cushman &Wakefield has summarised the situation on the Polish retail market Over half a mln sqm of new retail space came on stream last year marking the highest new supply level in Poland since 2015 This robust development activity occurred amid rising demand from new retailers and improving consumer sentiment which boosted retail sales A new retail park with a total area of 24,000 sqm is set to be developed in Otwock under the name Świderek The investment will be led by Redkom Development Empik has opened a flagship store in the revitalised former Cepelia pavilion in the centre of Warsaw the modernist building has regained its former glory and once again impresses with its original appearance and modern interior Trei Real Estate Poland has opened its 40th Vendo Park The investment was created in Wrocław and has 5,000 sqm Vendo Park Wrocław is the first facility under this banner in the capital of Lower Silesia The retail park was built on a plot of approx An 800 sqm Biedronka grocery store is to open on the ground floor of the Moje Bielany residential complex which is being developed by CeMat A/S at ul Wólczyńska 121 in Warsaw’s Bielany district Spring has very much sprung and everywhere is bathed in the first warm sunshine of the year I have in the back of my mind the terrifying fo .. The Polish warehouse market has finally stabilised after the post-pandemic boom but new challenges and opportunities are on the horizon for the sector UBM Development has been given the go-ahead for the first wooden office building in Poland: Timber Park in Poleczki Business Park in Warsaw The office market in Warsaw is currently experiencing a period of stability in terms of supply and take-up Recent data on overall tenant activity indicates that clients in the cap .. Receive all the latest information from the world of real estate by e-mail the construction of the Aura residential building designed by Robert Konieczny's office KWK Promes According to a report by research company Spectis “Construction companies in Poland 2025-2030” the total revenues of the 300 leading construction gro .. The Globalworth Foundation has provided the authorities in Bucharest with office space for a Covid vaccination centre Panattoni BTS and Commercecon together support the establishment of the second Centaurus Foundation centre in Poland to help horses and other animals intends to focus on operations in other reg .. Six class A office buildings in the PRO Portfolio which is jointly owned by PineBridge Benson Elliot and Sharow Capital have been granted BREEAM In-U .. Who won this year's 14th edition of the Eurobuild Awards The jury and guests gathered at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Warsaw chose this year's .. Enjoy the last set of recordings with comments straight from this year's MIPIM we asked experts from our home country for their input will take place on 9-10 April 2025 at the Norblin Factory Event Hall in W .. we invite you to hot episode of the "Eye to eye" podcast The UN Nansen Refugee Award award will go to Poland for the first time According to the office of the UNHCR High Commissioner this year's regional wi .. Czech developer CTP has been granted a EUR 200 mln loan from the European Investment Bank for the roll-out of its large-scale solar panel installation .. while the ADR has finally surpassed the milestone .. Jarosław Szanajca plans to resign from the position of president of the management board of Dom Development at the end of the year and join the superv .. The Polish and Danish governments have entered preliminary discussions for the construction of a tunnel between Szczecin and Copenhagen underneath the .. Viterra has moved into its ​​new 1,500 sqm offices in Olivia Prime part of the Olivia Centre business complex in Gdańsk Panattoni has acquired two properties near Gothenburg The brownfield sites will be replaced by a modern 43,000 sqm facility Contemporary cities are grappling with the challenge of fostering dynamic growth while alleviating environmental pressures Colliers has taken over the management of the Studio B office building located in the Warsaw Wola district The property is owned by Stena Real Estate .. The University of Warsaw has signed a contract with the general contractor for a project at ul The new building will house the faculti .. Velis Real Estate Tech is officially changing its name to Singu adopting the title of its property management product the construction of the Panattoni Park Unterfranken has officially started You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience “When I walk over them I recall many of the problems we faced during their construction and the solutions to resolve them It is very satisfying to know that I made a significant contribution to their construction,” explains Ing Ľubomír Hrnčiar when commenting on his professional career The bridges have truly become ingrained in him at that time my older brother was already studying at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava so I could count on his support in case I needed it After a short time reconsidering I agreed to switch with the condition that I would study nothing else but bridges or roads Thus I found myself at the Department of Structures and Transportation Engineering The interesting aspect of this department was that after 5 and half year-long study we were around 100 students who graduated which was about the same amount as at the beginning although only a half of them were the students who actually started with me the other half were the students who gradually joined in from the upper grades That just proved the fact that it was one of the most demanding studies at the Faculty of Civil Engineering explains why there are so few young people willing to enrol to study this department I was eagerly watching and absorbing everything around As a construction manager of certain part of the works I was given some responsibilities – for special foundation on the left side of the river Danube In any case it has been a valuable experience which is not frequently encountered by a fresh graduate such a great construction project as the Bridge SNP has unexpectedly become the very first bridge of my career In 1975 there was a selection process for a postgraduate study of design and technology of concrete bridges Due to the experience from the construction of the first bridge on the river Danube in Bratislava the company appointed me and my three other colleagues Enthusiastically we studied for the next two years and completed the postgraduate programme with diploma thesis and state examination In terms of the topic of my diploma thesis I was directed by the company to focus on the Harbour bridge (Prístavný most) Back then it was officially called the motorway-railway bridge which concerned the movable scaffolding construction method I had already encountered this technology in 1969 while I was on the student working experience in Germany Another important factor was that the government approved the investments into the new technology of movable scaffolding just after I completed the post-graduate programme the construction of the Harbour bridge commenced I was sent for an internship to Austria and Germany to gain further experience from the construction projects where the movable scaffolding had been used it was very advantageous that we kept in touch with our foreign partners – we were meeting once a year in Slovakia at the review of our construction sites and once a year in Germany at the approval of proposed projects and technological solutions The mutual professional cooperation with our licensing partner had grown into a phase where during one interesting operation – rotating of a movable scaffolding of 450 tons on the embankment by horizontal hydraulic jacks a president of the fip and a technical director of a company with a 100-years-long tradition came personally to take pictures of this operation and to have the whole procedure explained in detail In other words it was an amazing form of further education and today I can say with certainty that we have to learn all our life to maintain our professional growth who had experience with the motorway construction so I felt I had sufficient support behind me which also encouraged me to accept the offered position Although the project manager specialised in roads and did not have much knowledge nor experience with construction of bridges he had huge experience with works organisation and fluency of construction All that came very handy because the construction in question comprised a double-deck motorway-railway bridge with several restrictions concerning the bridge clearance height the bridge bearing structure required to be custom-made Even more important was the application of as many as seven different bridge construction technologies which really was an organisational challenge At the beginning it was very difficult and we did not get the works going properly until after the first two years but eventually we learned how to motivate people to work efficiently We even managed to generate a time reserve The critical point at the beginning was also the launching of the bridge spans which caused us to fall behind the schedule Then followed a decision to make people work night-shifts we managed to organise workers and the construction works took a faster spin I still benefit from the fact that back then I learned how much time is needed for each particular activity and what equipment is required for its satisfactory performance This “route” of mine then opened the doors for me and ever since I was being called to assist with the preparation of all bridges with over 60m spans in the west and the central Slovakia which at those times fell under the competence of Doprastav All those bridges form part of my professional life today When I walk over them I recall the problems we faced during their construction and the way how we resolved them Constructors are always under pressure caused by the weather deadlines and constant changes in organisation The only day when they receive appreciation is the day when the completed works are handed over In spite of that it truly is a wonderful feeling to know that I contributed to their construction because behind each bridge there always is a huge group of people but the results of their work will remain here forever After the completion of the Harbour Bridge there were two key outcomes important for my future One of them was the option to travel abroad to attend the world bridge congress which was rather unusual in the given political and financial circumstances On the way to the congress I was talking to Mr Zvara – I knew that in the unsettled year of 1969 he had worked in Germany – so I asked him if he had not been thinking about staying there to live He said he had not because he had his family in Slovakia and then he asked me an unforgettable question – whether I thought that I could build there the bridges that I had already built in Slovakia In Slovakia I had the opportunity to participate in the construction of three amazing bridges over the river Danube later even on the fourth one on Košická Street there are only three of us still alive who contributed to the construction of these three historical Danube bridges and I am the last one who continues to be professionally active at the above mentioned congress I decided to try to bring home some of the learned “world´s” experiences and enrich Doprastav where I was already a technical director at that time I did my best to get finances for introduction of various new technologies and some of my efforts did work out and made us the first company in Slovakia to put them into practice in our country Another significant matter was the ongoing preparation of the Lafranconi Bridge It started right after the completion of the Harbour Bridge and this one I was preparing alone with the designer Problematic was the Austrian side of the construction had an older generation of very skilled and experienced designers was in charge of the Lafranconi Bridge design preparation He explained to me the construction of one bridge in Washington described in a professional journal and he asked me straight away if I would be willing to do something similar During the actual construction of the bridge we used a lot of the latest components and technologies It was attainable also thanks to the enthusiasm of people working in the development department of Doprastav Out of all the unique enhancements that we achieved I would like to mention the asymmetrical cantilever with the length of 120m today is still the one of a kind in Slovakia and Czech Republic getting close to the world-wide parameters of 125m We were also the first in the world to use the unbounded tendons with the free cantilever technology for the spans of 175m Another challenge was to connect the symmetrical and the asymmetrical cantilever Consequently to all the success we gained during the construction I was given an authorisation to purchase the license for free cantilever method of construction For this purpose I travelled to commence the negotiations in Norway The Norwegians were world leaders not only in terms of the free cantilever method but also concerning the production of concrete because at those times they specialised in construction of floating platforms for the crude oil output Unfortunately this trend continued even after the establishment of the joint stock company seven divisions were reduced to four and the redundancies did not stop On one hand we were forced to part with many of our highly qualified professionals and on the other hand we had to take on board workers from other divisions The entire process did finally stop at the number of 450 employees At the same time we had no other choice but to search for work abroad Through an exhausting process of tendering we were finally awarded a contract in Germany for the execution of some civil engineering structures Gradually we built our name in the German market and later we managed to succeed with a bid which we had submitted together with another German company for the reconstruction of a bridge between Strasburg and Stuttgart Construction period was four years and although our part was only to provide the workforce and technicians it helped us to survive the worst times before the construction industry in Slovakia was finally rebooted in 1995 We finally won the first PPP project although its execution commenced as second the cooperation with foreign companies proved itself to be a great education for we could see a different perspective of many operations especially concerning the financial background and the related circumstances Although at first it was quite evident that they looked down at us after a year or so we gained their full confidence This resulted in another turning point of my career In 2009 I reached retirement age and in connection to that I did not see much sense in my further stay in Doprastav But then a job offer came from Váhostav to take the charge of PPP projects on their behalf Thus my role within the joint venture did not change I was only representing a different company in 2010 the PPP projects were stopped and I became a technical director of Váhostav This company had always been focusing on a different type of construction and now they were keen to use my knowledge and experience to expand their portfolio and advance their technological level as a fresh pensioner I was confronted again with an ambition to progress and improvement which I did appreciate after all because those amazing early years in Doprastav had been irretrievably gone And so the route to my personal growth and self-fulfilment was re-opened not to completely avoid the given question – I have never regretted joining this profession nor have I regretted any decision I made in the scope of it they were made in a particular context and I could learn my lessons from them I also believe that one should always look for a way to get things done and not for an excuse as to why they cannot be done it always is a blissful feeling to go somewhere where I have left a piece of my work behind me There have been many changes and that makes me pleased What upsets me is the decline in interest of the next generations to study this construction field – as we discussed earlier Another thing is that the students are not as well prepared as they were in the past We had to know exactly what we were drawing Nowadays there are computer programmes that resolve many things automatically Computer programmes are a good servant but a bad master – their help is enormous I would also wish that it was not only the lowest price that is decisive in the bid selection procedure Apart from the price a significant weight should be consigned to the level of professional experience Even in Romania the price is given only a 50 per cent importance in the tender evaluation I do have one personal wish – to stay healthy so that I can see many other beautiful structures and grasp new experiences and further knowledge Posielajte mi dôležité správy zo sveta architektúry a stavebníctva 2x týždenne: Vaša emailová adresa bude uchovávaná a spracúvaná spoločnosťou JAGA GROUP, s.r.o. (IČO 35705779) na účel zasielania newslettra po dobu trvania jeho odberu. Odber je možné kedykoľvek zrušiť pomocou odkazu uvedeného v každej odoslanej správe. Pozrite si naše úplné podmienky spracovania osobných údajov. Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications China is drilling one of the deepest boreholes in existence projected to dip 36,418 foot (11,100 meters) into the Earth's crust It took scientists just 10 months - as well as 1,000 drill pipes and 20 drill bits - to penetrate depths of more than 32,808 foot (10,000 meters) Workers celebrated reaching the milestone in March but drilling further posed some pretty dangerous challenges Temperatures could reach more than 392 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and formation pressure could ramp up high-strength construction projects like bridges are usually made of concrete able to withstand 41 MPa Tarim Basin's 'harsh ground environment' and 'complicated underground conditions' make it a challenging area to explore, Chinese media claims But there's a very good reason scientists have set out on the feat The exploration means the internal structure and evolution of the Earth can be studied providing crucial data for geoscience research the country’s leading oil and gas producer Shenditake 1 was projected to reach its maximum depth of 36,418 foot this July although it's not been confirmed whether that target was met Still, it took scientists in Russia 19 years to dig the deepest manmade hole in existence - in comparison to China's 278-day dash to 32,808 foot in Murmansk Oblast - north of the Arctic Circle - holds the record for the world's deepest hole at more than 40,229 foot (12,262 meters) that depth equates to the heights of Mount Everest and Mount Fuji combined But the borehole was abandoned in 1995 for multiple reasons - namely a lack of funding and because it was no longer profitable Shocked scientists also discovered the Earth was way hotter than expected at such depths As a kid, I was once determined to dig to the center of the planet from my backyard - an ambitious task considering the core is 21,120,000 feet below us Our planet's crust alone is an estimated 227,040 foot thick (69,201 meters) meaning Russia's borehole only penetrated 17 percent of the Earth's crust China's borehole would reach 14 percent of our planet's crust at its maximum depth Topics: Science, Russia, China, Environment